The exploration and production of hydrocarbons require the use of numerous types of tubulars also referred to as pipe. Tubulars include but are not limited to drill pipes, casings, tubing, Riser and other threadably connectable elements used in well structures. The connection of “strings” of joined tubulars or drill strings is often used to drill a wellbore and, with regards to casing, prevent collapse of the wellbore after drilling. These tubulars are normally assembled in groups of two or more commonly known as “stands” to be vertically stored in the derrick or mast. The derrick or mast may include a storing structure commonly referred to as a fingerboard. Fingerboards typically include a plurality of horizontally elongated support structures or “fingers” each capable of receiving a plurality of “stands.”
Rotary drilling and top drive drilling systems often use these stands, instead of single tubulars, to increase efficiency of drilling operations by reducing the amount of connections required to build the drill string in or directly over the wellbore. However, the manipulation of tubulars from a horizontal to a vertical position, assembly of stands and presentation of stands between the fingerboard and well center are dangerous and can be rather inefficient operations.
Since tubulars may be added and removed from drill strings multiple times on the same well, and since some tubulars are reused at different wells, some tubulars may be repetitively exposed to high stress scenarios, leading to earlier than expected failure. Tubular failures delay well progress and increase drilling costs.
During the drilling process, tubulars are subjected to differing loads depending on their location within the drill string. When subjected to loads under tension, these tubulars elongate linearly in relation to the applied load and recover to their original dimensions when the loads are removed. However, if the elastic limit of the tubular is exceeded, then it will not return to its original dimensions and poses a potential failure point. In addition, some tubulars become worn on the inside due to the flow of abrasive drilling fluids. These worn points are often not visible from outside the drill pipe, and also present potential failure points.
In order to identify tubulars that may have been exposed to excessive stress or wear, tubulars that are intended to be re-used on a rig are validated through independent inspections between wells, and prior to be introduced to the drilling rig. Validation requires an inspector to manually measure and record dimensions and specifications of the tubular.
Tubulars exhibiting excessive levels of elongation or deformation may be deemed unsuitable for continued use. However, since tubulars are a consumable commodity and extremely expensive, it is desirable to use as much of their useful life as possible. However, the process of validating by manually measuring each tubular for dimensional discrepancies can be time consuming and tedious work.
Pad drilling, which requires a rig to be on site drilling multiple wells, presents additional challenges for ensuring safe and proper validation for the drill pipe. The time required to remove tubulars from a rig for measurement and quality control can slow the process and decrease efficiency of the drilling operation.
The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods that overcome one or more of the shortcomings of the prior art.